Tilting Device for a Chair

ABSTRACT

The invention relates to a tilting device ( 5 ) for a chair, comprising a lower plate ( 6 ) and an upper plate ( 7 ). An elastic body ( 8 ) is located therebetween. The lower plate ( 6 ) has a bulge ( 9 ) in the vertical direction, by means of which the tilting device ( 5 ) is placed onto the upper end of a gas spring ( 2 ). The seat plate ( 3 ) of the chair is fastened to the upper plate ( 7 ).

The invention concerns a tilting device for a chair according to the preamble of claim 1.

Chairs that enable a tilting movement of the seat plate about a pivot point that is located within a central seat area are known in various embodiments. The basic principle resides always in that, on the bottom side of the seat plate, a support is arranged by using an elastic body. This elastic body counteracts the tilting movement with an appropriate restoring force.

A disadvantage in connection with the known lilting devices for a chair is the generally very complex and complicated configuration with a plurality of parts.

Based on this, the invention has the object to provide a technically simple tilting device for a chair.

The technical solution is characterized by the features in the characterizing portion of claim 1.

In this way, the tilling device for a chair is provided which, with respect to the technical configuration, is extremely simple and, as a whole, is comprised only of three elementary construction parts. These are the two plates as well as the elastic body positioned between the two plates. The basic idea resides in that the tilting mechanism is not a completely separate structure relative to the chair as a whole but that it is a seat support with integrated tilting mechanism. In this connection, the individual elements of the tilting device according to the invention fulfill several tasks at the same time. For example, the bottom plate is not only a bottom support for the elastic body but the bottom plate serves at the same time with its upper bulge as a receptacle for the upper end of the gas spring that projects from the base vertically upwardly. The second component, namely the top plate, not only serves as a pivotable counter plate relative to the bottom plate but the top plate serves at the same time also as a direct attachment of the seat plate of the chair. The elastic body that is mounted between the bottom plate and the top plate in a sandwich arrangement serves the tilting movement of the seat plate for generating an appropriate restoring force. With regard to mounting, this 3-component tilting device is first attached with its top plate to the bottom side of the seat plate. In this way, a fast and permanent connection of the tilting device with the seat plate is provided. This structure of tilting device and seat plate is then simply pushed onto the gas spring of the base wherein an additional fastening action is not required. As a result, this means that a constructively extremely simple seat support with integrated tilting mechanism is provided in this way which enables by means of the tilting mechanism that the chair can be tilted in the desired direction in accordance with the needs of the user.

In order to simplify the insertion of the upper end of the gas spring into the bulge of the bottom and in order to increase the frictional connection between the upper end of the gas spring and the inner wall of the bulge, according to the embodiment of claim 2 the bulge is at least partially of a conical configuration. This also takes into account that the upper end of the gas spring is generally conically configured. This means that the cross-sectional profiling of the bulge is matched to the profile of the upper end of the gas spring.

Preferably, according to the embodiment of claim 3, the upper end of the gas spring is secured in the bulge by frictional connection. This means that no additional fastening devices are required. The tilting device is thus pushed with its bulge simply onto the upper end of the gas spring. This provides for an extremely simple assembly of the chair.

According to a further embodiment of claim 4, the elastic body, in the broadest meaning, is of an annular configuration. In this connection, it has a central middle opening wherein the central axis is defined by the bulge.

According to the embodiment of claim 5, the elastic body can be designed exactly of an annular shape in this context. This means that the restoring force of the tilting device is identical in any tilting direction. A further possibility in regard to the configuration of the elastic body resides in that it is formed with regard to its basic shape to be annular but with projections. Preferably, two projections are provided that are formed laterally relative to the longitudinal central direction of the chair. This means that the restoring force of the tilting device is laterally greater than the restoring force to the front and to the rear. A further alternative proposes that the elastic body is of an oval shape. Here also the restoring force is laterally greater than to the front and to the rear. In a square configuration of the elastic body, the restoring forces laterally as well as to the front and to the rear are identical. With respect to the diagonals, the restoring force is however greater. For a rectangular configuration of the elastic body, the restoring force is laterally greater than to the front or to the rear. In case of a polygonal configuration of the elastic body, the restoring forces can be defined in a targeted fashion in certain angle directions.

According to the embodiment of claim 6, the elastic body can be embodied relative to the vertical center axis to be planar or can be conically shaped in upward or downward direction. The planar configuration of the elastic body (i.e., the upper as well as the lower boundary surfaces are positioned perpendicularly to the center axis) defines a neutral configuration in regard to the restoring force of the elastic body. In case of the conical configuration, different motoric sequences as well as sensations are experienced by the user. For example, in case of a conical configuration in the downward direction a very stable position is provided while the tilting device is more labile in case of a conical configuration in the upward direction.

The configuration according to claim 7 proposes various possibilities for attachment of the elastic body to the two plates. When the elastic body is secured at the plates by positive locking action, this may mean that pins with barbs are pressed into the elastic body. Also, a bayonet attachment is conceivable.

The embodiment according to claim 8 proposes that preferably the top plate has a pivot lever correlated therewith. The latter serves for actuation of the gas spring in that the forward end of the pivot lever presses onto a corresponding valve of the gas spring.

Different embodiments of a chair with a tilting device according to the invention will be explained in the following with the aid of the drawings. The drawings show in:

FIG. 1 a a front view of a chair;

FIG. 1 b a side view of the chair of FIG. 1 a;

FIG. 2 a a schematic longitudinal section view of the tilting device;

FIG. 2 b a plan view onto the tilting device of FIG. 2 a;

FIG. 3 a an illustration in accordance with FIG. 2 a but with a conical configuration of the elastic body in downward direction;

FIG. 3 b an illustration in accordance with FIG. 3 a wherein however the elastic body is formed conically in upward direction;

FIG. 4 a to 4 f different shapes of the elastic body.

The chair that is illustrated in FIGS. 1 a and 1 b has a base 1. This base 1 has a gas spring 2 that extends vertically in upward direction.

Moreover, the chair has a seat plate 3. A backrest 4 is arranged thereat.

Between the base 1 and the seat plate 3 a tilting device 5 is arranged. This tilting device 5 is comprised of a bottom plate 6, a top plate 7 as well as an elastic body 8 that is positioned in a sandwich arrangement in between.

The bottom plate 6 has along the central axis a bulge 9 that extends vertically in upward direction. In the illustrated embodiment, it is initially cylindrically formed and tapers then in a conical shape in upward direction. The top plate 7 is arranged at a spacing above the bottom plate 6. Therebetween the elastic body 8 is arranged. The latter is connected with the two plates 6, 7 by vulcanization. However, it can also be glued, riveted or screwed to the two plates 6, 7. A fixation by positive locking action (for example, with barbs or a type of bayonet closure) is conceivable also. The elastic body 8 that is annular in the most general sense has in this connection a central opening 10 that concentrically surrounds the bulge 9 of the bottom plate 6.

Finally, a pivot lever 11 is provided also. It is supported on the top plate 7.

The function is as follows.

The tilting device 5 is attached first with its top plate 7 to the bottom side of the seat plate 3. Subsequently, the tilting device 5 (together with the seat plate 3) is placed with its bulge 9 onto the upper end of the gas spring 2. As a result of the conical configuration, a frictional connection between the upper end of the gas spring 2 and the inner wall surface of the bulge 9 is provided. This is sufficient; no additional fastening actions are required.

While in FIG. 2 a the elastic body 8 is planar, FIGS. 3 a and 3 b show elastic bodies 8 that in downward direction are conical (FIG. 3 a) or in upward direction are conical (FIG. 3 b). In this way, somewhat different tilting behaviors results.

FIGS. 4 a to 4 f show different shapes of the elastic body. In FIG. 4 a the elastic body 8 is annular. This means that the restoring force that is exerted by the elastic body 8 in case of a tilting movement is identical relative to all angular positions.

In the embodiment variant of FIG. 4 b, the elastic body 8 is square. This means that to both sides, to the front as well as to the rear the restoring force is identical while the restoring force is somewhat greater relative to the diagonals.

FIG. 4 c shows a polygonal elastic body 8. In accordance with the radial thickness for different angular positions different restoring forces are provided.

In the rectangular elastic body 8 of FIG. 4 d, the lateral restoring forces are greater than the restoring force relative to a tilting movement to the front or to the rear. Even greater is the restoring force in the diagonal directions.

In FIG. 4 e the elastic body 8 is oval. Here the lateral restoring forces are also greater than the restoring forces to the front and to the rear.

The embodiment variant of FIG. 4 f is based on an annular elastic body 8. It has however lateral monolithically formed projections. This means that here also the restoring forces are greater in the lateral direction.

LIST OF REFERENCE CHARACTERS

-   1 base -   2 gas spring -   3 seat plate -   4 backrest -   5 tilting device -   6 bottom plate -   7 top plate -   8 elastic body -   9 bulge -   10 central opening -   11 pivot lever 

What is claimed is: 1.-9. (canceled)
 10. A tilting device for a chair, the chair comprising a base with a gas spring that extends vertically in upward direction and further comprising a seat plate, the tilting device arranged between the base and the seat plate, the tilting device comprising: an elastic body having a bottom side and a top side; a first rigid plate connected to said bottom side; a second rigid plate connected to said top side; said first rigid plate having a bulge extending vertically in upward direction, wherein said bulge is configured to be pushed onto an upper end of the gas spring to secure the tilting device on the gas spring; said second rigid plate configured to directly attach to the seat plate.
 11. The tilting device according to claim 10, wherein said bulge is at least partially conically embodied.
 12. The tilting device according to claim 10, wherein said bulge is secured on the upper end of the gas spring exclusively by frictional connection.
 13. The tilting device according to claim 10, wherein said elastic body is closed in circumferential direction and has a central opening that annularly surrounds said bulge of said first rigid plate.
 14. The tilting device according to claim 13, wherein said elastic body is embodied to have a shape selected from annular, annular with outer projections, oval, square, rectangular, or polygonal.
 15. The tilting device according to claim 10, wherein said elastic body has a vertical center axis and is planar in a horizontal direction.
 16. The tilting device according to claim 10, wherein said elastic body has a vertical center axis and is conical either in an upward direction or in a downward direction relative to said vertical center axis.
 17. The tilting device according to claim 10, wherein said elastic body is vulcanized, glued, riveted, screwed or positive-lockingly secured to said first and second rigid plates.
 18. The tilting device according to claim 10, comprising a pivot lever provided on said second rigid plate and configured to actuate the gas spring.
 19. A chair with a tilting device according to claim
 10. 